CHAPTER 58: THE CROWNED MONSTROSITY [2]

If fate wanted me dead today, it would have to try a hell of a lot harder.

With that thought, I reached into my storage ring and pulled out a small, pitch-black pill.

It looked suspicious. Like the kind of thing that starts wars or cults.

But it wasn’t a drug. Or some alchemy-induced bullshit.

This was a mana-reagent.

In this world, mana potions didn’t exist. No chugging some suspicious glowing blue juice and yelling "My mana is all full!"

It was too illogical for this messed up world which still wanted to cling to logic.

Healing potions made sense. They were crafted using the mana of healers, people born with the right healing affinity, the right gift.

But there was no such affinity for mana recovery. No ’Restoration of Arcane Reserves’ bullshit.

This mana-reagent pill was different.

Once chewed, it forces your lungs and heart into overdrive, ramping up mana recovery by pushing your body to the brink. It increased oxygen and accelerated blood flow.

That’s why it wasn’t advised to use much. Use more than two in an hour and say goodbye to your heart forever.

But I didn’t hesitate.

I popped the pill between my teeth and bit down.

It was time to remind this crowned freak its place.

Immediately, my heart slammed against my ribs like a war drum. My lungs burned, each breath like I was breathing fire.

But with the pain came power.

I felt the ambient mana surge toward me no longer drifting slowly but rushing, pulled into me like a whirlpool like when I meditated.

Every heartbeat pushed it further.

The world sharpened. My limbs felt lighter and my skin tingled with raw energy.

It wasn’t pleasant.

It was electric and violent but I was ready.

Without hesitation, I channeled the raw mana through my body and activated [Minor Strength Boost].

My body felt even lighter.

Next, I activated [Ember Sense], expanding my already sharp sense even further.

With everything done, I moved.

My heel slammed into the ground with a sharp crack as I launched myself forward with a burst, vanishing in a blur of motion.

The crowned freak was still rising.

Perfect.

I shot my fist forward, aimed right at its disgusting face.

But of course—because fate just couldn’t let me have my moment—the bastard dodged.

My punch struck the cave wall instead, cracking stone.

The crowned freak didn’t even flinch. It spun instantly with its claws already lashing out.

Its strike came toward my exposed ribs from side like it had been waiting for this opening.

But it never landed.

Because from the side, like a damn crimson meteor, Bearlo arrived—

And kicked.

The crowned freak never saw it coming.

BOOM.

It was launched sideways, crashing through the air like a ragdoll.

Perfect assist.

I smirked, the words echoing in my head as I watched the thing slam into the far wall.

Good bear.

We didn’t waste time and shot towards it at the same time.

The crowned freak barely had time to turn its head before Bearlo kicked again.

It raised an arm to block, the impact reverberating through the cave like a drumbeat.

But it didn’t matter.

I was already there—low and silent, crouched beneath the chaos.

Its ribs were wide open.

I didn’t hesitate.

Mana surged through my arm as I drove my fist straight into its exposed side.

"Guahhhh"

The air was knocked from its lungs, assuming the bastard still had lungs to begin with.

Its body lifted clean off the ground, flung into the air like a broken puppet.

I didn’t waste the opening.

Mana gathered at my fingertips as a sleek, glowing orange card formed, hovering just above my palm, humming with potential.

"Lights out," I muttered.

Then I flicked the card toward the airborne freak with deadly precision.

It spun through the air and barely scratched the bastard’s skin.

It didn’t pierce.

It just bounced off that twisted hide like a cheap insult.

But I didn’t care.

Before it even began to fall, I snapped my fingers—

Boom.

The card exploded mid-air, right in its face, in a flash of blazing orange and raw force.

The crowned freak was thrown hurling through the air before spiraling down.

It hadn’t even hit the ground yet—

And Bearlo was already there.

His legs pulsed with glowing mana, muscles coiled like loaded springs.

He waited, eyes locked.

Then—

CRACK!

Bearlo’s kick met the crowned freak’s head mid-fall, a clean, brutal strike that echoed through the cave.

The crowned freak once again kissed the cave wall passionately.

For a few seconds, it just lay there.

Then,

It let out a twisted, guttural scream.

"SCREENCHHH!!!"

Still, its body didn’t move.

Honestly, for being an eldritch creature this guy was easy... too easy.

I mean, it was indeed fighting alone against two of us.

If the crown had taken over the orc leader while the rest of its squad was still alive? That would’ve been a whole different kind of nightmare.

Too many bodies. Too much coordination.

I would’ve had no choice but to use one of my teleportation charms and pray I didn’t rematerialize inside a rock, a lava-river or during dinner of some powerful eldritch creature. And knowing this cursed forest, anything could be possible.

Honestly, at that point, death might’ve been the polite option.

Obviously all of this, assuming those other dumbasses still listened to it after the upgrade.

Which, knowing my luck, they probably would’ve started chanting its name and sacrificed their toenails or something.

But thankfully, the crown only awakened after all the orcs were dead. That alone made it easier to deal with.

And from the looks of it, whatever parasite the crown actually was, it was still in its early development phase.

It couldn’t fully control or elevate its host yet.

I remember information about such parasites, not from novels but from memories of previous Rael.

Nobles were taught about all kinds of monsters.

Not every individual species—there were far too many for that.

Instead, we learned through categories.

Classifications based on behavior, threat level, habitat, mana type and—of course—how likely they were to kill you before you could scream.

Parasitic-type monsters were a special class.

Their strength came from synergy. From enhancing their hosts. Amplifying their bodies. Bending them into stronger, deadlier versions of what they once were.

If this crown couldn’t do that...

Then there was only one conclusion:

It wasn’t completely developed yet.

Guess even fate—with all its obsessive hate boner for me—couldn’t just hand out a sudden power-up to some random crowned freak.

The crowned freak still wasn’t getting up.

I walked towards it with slow steps, channeling my mana into my hand.

A sleek orange card took form above my hand, humming with power.

I didn’t fire it.

I knew it wouldn’t pierce its tough body.

Bearlo followed a step behind me, like a bodyguard escorting an executioner.

I arrived right in front of the crowned freak.

Its body was mangled and twisted. A slow screech barely left his mouth.

I just reached forward—grabbed the card—and stabbed it straight into its eye. The softest body part of most creatures.

Its body convulsed.

Mana surged.

I didn’t flinch and just turned around.

Once I reached sufficient distance.

"Boom," I whispered as my cloak started fluttering at the perfect moment.

Then pulled the trigger.

Behind me, the explosion painted the cave in orange and blood.

I didn’t look back.

—

Author’s Note:

Hey readers!

This Chapter was a wild ride to write—mana pills, eldritch parasites, Bearlo’s glorious comeback, and of course, Rael being Rael. Hope you enjoyed the chaos as much as I did orchestrating it. Do give your honest feedback as it would help me improve in future.